Explosion-engine-starting mechanism.



R. J. NORTHAM & W. E. SANDHAM.

EXPLOSION ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION 11.31) 0.01.. 19, 1910.

984,840; Patented ream, 1911.

nn'r sra'rns PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. NOR'II-IAM AND WALTER E. SANDHAM, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,

ASSIGNORS T NORTHAM AUTO PRESSURE GAUGE (70., 0F' LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA, .A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

I EXILOSION-ENGINE-STAR-TING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 19, 1910. Serial No. 587,898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT J. NORTHAM and NVALTER E. SANDHAM, both citizens of the United States, residing at'the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements'in Explosion-Engine- Starting is a specification.

- accompanying Our invention relates to apparatus for cranking engines and is primarily designed for automobiles; and the object thereof is to provide a simple. and inexpensive mecha- Vation partly in section, and partly broken away, of our starting mechanism in place ready for operation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the cranking mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig 4: is a top plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 3 with the handle omitted. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the upper portion of our cranking mechanism in its inoperative position.

J In the drawings 10 is" the cranking shaft which is provided with a clutch on its inner end which engages with a clutch on the engineshaft, in the usual Well known manner when it is desired to crank the engine. I

11 represents a portion of the auto frame in which the crank shaft is 'revolubly and sl'idablyfmounted. 'Upon the outer end of the cranking shaft is revolubly mounted, cranking. lever 12'having at its outer end an operating handle 13. Adjacent to lever 12 and rigidly mounted upon .the cranking shaft is looking lever 14. Slidably mounted upon the cranking lever is a sleeve 15 which is provided upon its inner end with an upwardly extending lug 16. In the inner end of the sleeve is a pocket or recess 17 into which the end of locking lever let is received when it is desired to crank the engine. In the outer end of the sleeve is a socket 18which houses a spring 19. against the sleeve and the other end rests echanism, of which the following Fig. 2 is aside ele- One end of the spring rests against a pin 20 vhichis' secured by a screw 21 to lever 12. A pm 22 is also secured to Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

lever 12 and limits the inward movement of sleeve 15 upon lever 12. Normally spring 19 holds the sleeve spring pressed against pin 22, with the locking lever locked there'- byin recess 17. In the outer end of lag 16 is mounted a dog 23 which when the crank-1 ing shaft is in position to crank the engine engages teeth 25 of the ratchet wheel 26,.

which wheel is rigidly secured upon a boss 27 upon that part of the frame in which the cranking shaft is mounted. Dog 23 has an oscillating movement 1n its bearings and the outer end is held spring pressed out wardly by means of spring 28 which is partly housed in a socket 29 in the outer end of lug 16. Y

The operation of our device is as follows The operator pushes the cranking shaft inwardly and turns the same to the right in the usual well known manner. When moving int-his direction dog 21 rides over the teeth- Should the engine back-kick the cranking shaft would be turned in the reverse direction, when the dog would" catch in the teeth of the ratchet wheel, thereby forcing sleeve 15 downwardly and releasing the outer end of lever 14 from engagement with the sleeve; As soon as lever lat is released from the sleeveit is unlocked from the cranking lever and the cranking shaft and lever 14 can revolve independently of the cranking shaft until the motion of the cranking shaft ceases. In the meantime thecranking lever remains in the hands of the operator without movement. The operator then brings the parts to the position 111 Fig. 2

when he again proceeds to crank the engine.

By this construction a simple and inexpensive mechanism is provided for cranking the engine which automatically releases itself upon the back-kick ofthe engine. A strapt30 may be provided to hold the cranking lever when not in use.

Having described our invention what we claim is: 1

LA starting mechanism for explosion engine comprising a'cranking' shaft; two levers mounted upon the outer end of the cranking; shaft, one" of said levers being rigidly secured to the cranking shaft and the other being revolubly mounted upon the cranking shaft; means to lock said levers together to turn the cranking shaft in a direction to start the engine; and means for unlocking said lockin means when the cranking shaft is turned in the oppositedirection.

' 4 2. --A starting mechanism for explosion lgngines comprising a crankshaft; a crank; lng lever revolubl mounted upon the outer end of said cranking shaft;i.ai. locking lever rigidly mounted upon said cranking shaft adjacent to the cranking lever, said locking lever being shorter than the cranking lever;

aspring pressed sleeve slidably' mounted shaft; a spring pressed dog mounted upon said sleeve adapted to engage the teeth of .the ratchet heel and to depress the sleeve and carry. it out bf engagement with lockin-g lever uponthe rotation of the crank.

shaft in one direction and to slide over the teeth upon the rotation of the cranking shaft in the reverse direction andmeahs to limit the movement of said sleeve. 4

'In witness that we claim the foregoing We have hereunto subscribed our names this 4th day-of October, 1910.

ROBERT J. NonTHAM; I I WALTER E. SANDHAMB,

Witnesses:

G. E. HARPHAM; C. M. AUSTIN. 

